Paradigm Shift: MCP - Home Treatment via Cardiologist and Practitioner.

CHICAGO -- CardioLa has announced that it will be presenting at 11:45 a.m. at Medtech Insight's Prestigious "In Circulation: Strategic Partnering and Investing in Circulatory Medicine" Conference, taking place April 27, 2005 at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.

CardioLa Ltd., a Switzerland-based company, has been developing the Muscular Counterpulsation ("MCP") method. MCP uses a fully non-invasive medical device for treatment of various heart conditions. It improves hemodynamics mainly via neural feedback by increasing the autonomous nerve system's afferentation (i.e. the feedback from muscle to brain), triggered by cardiosynchronized contraction of skeletal muscles in counterpulsation mode. MCP influences heart rate and significantly changes systemic vascular resistance, thereby changing blood pressure as well as cardiac output. Over 800 patients / volunteers were MCP-treated since 1989 without any problem. 21 studies involving animals, patients & volunteers have been completed. Publications are being issued in leading medical journals.

This new approach uses a portable, battery-powered easy-to-use device to induce heart rate-triggered slight contractions of skeletal muscles during early diastole. The MCP devices were granted European medical certification (CE-mark) for treatment of ischemic heart disease patients. Patent protection is given by three patents granted (2 in the USA) that are pending in major other countries, whereas five additional patent filed have received priority protection. MCP is ready to enter commercialization.

Counterpulsation is a known mean of assisted circulation for heart failure patients. Invasive Intra-aortic Balloon Counterpulsation ("IABP") and non-invasive external counterpulsation ("ECP") are well established, but are expensive methods. Though the MCP method is based on analogy to above two methods, it will not be replacing IABP or ECP. The very nature of MCP, its ease-of-use, and portability will open a whole new range of indications and therapeutic settings. The system requires neither dedicated space nor physician's presence or skills. Eventually, the very low manufacturing cost offers a vast room for pricing, allowing affordable devices for home treatment.

Two main MCP segments are to be developed for combined drug & device outpatient / home treatment, medically prescribed by local cardiologists and practitioners, periodically supervising the MCP home treatment done by the patient himself for:

--"Prevention": Heart infarct prevention treatment with main focus on post-cardiac crisis patients (accessible now) and seriously obese patients (9 Mio in USA alone) and

--"CHF": Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) as a destination therapy for the fast growing number of more than 24 Mio patients worldwide.

CardioLa Ltd. is now looking for strategic partners with distribution channels to launch MCP in the markets worldwide. They shall support the launch into already accessible markets and fund parallel FDA compatible clinical studies for the above main MCP segments.

Medtech Insight, a division of Windhover Information Inc., is the leading provider of business information and market intelligence for the medical technology marketplace. To register for the "In Circulation" conference or for more information on Medtech Insight, please call Scott Pantel at 949-219-0150 or 888-290-2225 toll-free in the U.S., e-mail [e-mail], or visit www.medtechinsight.com.